1
as in dual
consisting of two members or parts that are usually joined
the double-edged purpose of the sales promotion is to clear out existing stock and to attract new customers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
her double-edged remark that she hoped that I ultimately got what I deserved
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of double-edged
In the cognitive realm, artificial intelligence is similarly double-edged.
—
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2025
Putin boasts of Russia’s record-low 2.3% unemployment rate, but this sword is double-edged.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
For Eisenberg’s film, the decision is double-edged: from the perspective of the characters, exceptional demands are placed on the dialogue to make their past come to life, but the dialogue isn’t sufficiently rich or imaginative to meet the challenge.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Usually double-edged, the weapons were occasionally decorated with engraved patterns.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Among artists and intellectuals, technology has always been double-edged, utopian and dystopian.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2023
Moran’s joke is double-edged.
—Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2023
Trending For Sohn, identity is double-edged.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2023
Nearly all executives and investors in this niche of neurotechnology acknowledge Musk’s impact on the field, though some say it is double-edged.
—Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2023
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2025
Putin boasts of Russia’s record-low 2.3% unemployment rate, but this sword is double-edged.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
For Eisenberg’s film, the decision is double-edged: from the perspective of the characters, exceptional demands are placed on the dialogue to make their past come to life, but the dialogue isn’t sufficiently rich or imaginative to meet the challenge.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Usually double-edged, the weapons were occasionally decorated with engraved patterns.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Among artists and intellectuals, technology has always been double-edged, utopian and dystopian.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2023
Moran’s joke is double-edged.
—Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2023
Trending For Sohn, identity is double-edged.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2023
Nearly all executives and investors in this niche of neurotechnology acknowledge Musk’s impact on the field, though some say it is double-edged.
—Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double-edged
Adjective
-
Photo : Open Homes Photography A wooden soaking tub sits between dual sinks in the en suite.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
20 June 2025
-
Ali didn’t give a timeline, but said a dual listing would help access capital and benefit from the higher valuations for tech companies in the US.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The inconsistency of the geographical settings goes hand in hand with the how their American protagonists are depicted as inept operators whose heroism is ambiguous Soon after his arrival in Saigon, Andrews mistakes an advertisement for a dubious massage parlor as a clue from a local contact.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2025
-
That’s negativity bias in action—the cognitive reflex to prioritize potential threats over neutral or positive cues, especially when the situation is ambiguous.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
But machines only speak the language of binary, strings of 1s and 0s that control electrical impulses in the computer’s hardware.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
6 June 2025
-
The Hybrid Intelligence Imperative Forward-thinking organizations are abandoning the binary choice between human-only and AI-only approaches.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
The cryptic introduction is a subtle nod to the bartenders that the patron is about to order one of four drinks from the Burning Blade secret menu.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
25 June 2025
-
The moment helped confirm a romance that had been rumored for several months following several cryptic Instagram posts.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
Written and directed by Coogler, Sinners stars the filmmaker’s Black Panther and Creed collaborator Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who return home to Mississippi in 1932 after serving in World War I and working for the mob in Chicago.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
The play begins on the morning of 9/11, when Jane, a Brooklyn schoolteacher-turned-stay-at-home mom of 8-year-old twin boys, discovers that her husband, Gabe, has likely perished, along with nearly 2,800 others, in the terrorist attacks on the twin towers.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Their final products include paintings, sketches, audio recordings, sculptures and videos of some of the Louvre’s most iconic artworks, as well as some of its more obscure.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 June 2025
-
The most obscure entry on this list, Hotel Fear (Pensione Paura in Italian) is the sort of arthouse exploitation film in which the Italians excelled in the late 1970s.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
Executive Chef Graham House and Chef de Cuisine Graham House of Luminosa in Asheville, NC, recommend using a whole roast chicken, both dark and white meat, but placing half of it in the food processor before hand shredding the remaining bits for texture.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
-
My challenge was to make the sequel scarier, and darker.—
Sweta Kaushal,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Double-edged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double-edged. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share